Rules to Playing 3-Way Action Video Poker

3-Way Action is an exciting video poker variation that enables players to combine stud poker and draw poker in the same hand. The players can place three separate successive bets and each time stand to win according to a predetermined payout table. The 3-Way Action video poker game is not to be confused with the table game of the same name.

After the player inserts the first coin, or activates the first bet in any other required way, he is dealt a five card hand. This hand is paid out according to the table applicable for the first round. Then the player activates the second bet. As in draw poker he discards a certain number of cards, which are replaced. The new five card hand is then paid out according to the table applicable for the second round.

Finally the player activates the third bet. He is dealt two additional cards. The best five card hand from his seven cards is compared with the payout table for the third round and the player is paid as per the table. This cycle can then be repeated if the player wants to continue playing. The idea behind 3-Way action is to give the player a chance to win large sums. Hence the highest hands pay disproportionately higher when the player bets the maximum limit. Analysis of 3-Way action games over a wide range of casinos show an average payout of 99.291%, which is very good. The payout tables differ slightly from casino to casino.

The 3-Way Action video poker game has three payout tables as described above. The game is a multi-coin game, meaning players can bet at different levels from minimum to maximum. Usually there are five levels and hence each payout table has five columns, with progressively increasing payouts as the wagered amount increases. Take for example the payout table at a popular casino for the five card deal, which is the first game. The payout for a Royal Flush increases from 2000 coins for the first level to 20000 coins for the fifth level, which is the maximum bet. Similarly the payout for Jacks or Better in the five card deal increases from 2 coins for the minimum bet to 10 coins for the maximum bet.

The comparison of the three payout tables also provides interesting insights. The five card deal is most difficult to score off because it gives the player no options. In the five card draw the player can change cards and this increases his propbability of winning. In the final seven card hand the player can select cards and this increases his propbability of winning even further. Hence as the game progresses the payout is bound to decrease. A comparison of payouts at the maximum bet levels is given below for Royal Flush. The payout for the five card deal is 20000 coins, for the five card draw is 4000 coins and for the seven card hand is 1000 coins. The icing on the cake is that there is additional payout for special seven card hands. For example our aces and three deuces pay at 20000 coins at the maximim bet.